Long Time Gone
Dixiechicks Lyrics

Daddy sits on the front porch swinging,
The singer's father stares out at a field that used to be filled with tobacco but is now empty.

Looking out on a vacant field.
The father sees nothing but an empty field.

Used to be filled with burley t'bacca.
The field used to be filled with tobacco.

Now he knows it never will.
The father accepts that the field will never be filled with tobacco again.

My brother found work in Indiana,
The artist's brother found a job in Indiana.

Sister's a nurse at the old folks home.
The singer's sister is a nurse at a retirement home.

Mama's still cooking too much for supper,
The mother is still cooking too much food for dinner.

And me, I've been a long time gone.
The artist has been away for a long time.

Been a long time gone,
The artist has been gone for a while.

No, I ain't hoed a row since I don't know when.
The artist hasn't done manual labor in a long time.

Long time gone, and it ain't coming back again.
The past is gone and can't be brought back.

Delia plays that ol' church piano,
Delia plays the piano at church.

Sittin' out on her daddy's farm.
Delia lives on her father's farm.

She always thought that we'd be together,
Delia believed that she and the singer would be together.

Lord, I never meant to do her harm.
The singer never meant to hurt Delia.

Said she could hear me singin' in the choir,
Delia heard the artist singing in the choir.

Me, I heard another song.
The artist was listening to a different song.

I caught wind and hit the road runnin',
The singer left town quickly.

And Lord, I've been a long time gone.
The singer has been gone for a while.

Lord, I ain't had a prayer since I don't know when.
The artist hasn't had good luck in a long time.

Now me, I went to Nashville,
The artist went to Nashville.

Tryin' to beat the big deal.
The artist was trying to make it big in music.

Playin' down on Broadway,
The singer played music on Broadway.

Gettin' there the hard way.
The artist had a difficult path to success.

Living from a tip jar,
The singer survived by accepting tips for their music.

Sleeping in my car.
The singer slept in their car.

Hocking my guitar,
The singer sold their guitar to get by.

Yeah, I'm gonna be a star.
The artist was determined to become a famous musician.

Now, me and Delia singing every Sunday,
The artist and Delia sang together every Sunday.

Watching the children and the garden grow.
The singer watched children and a garden grow.

We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin',
The singer and Delia listened to the radio.

But the music ain't got no soul.
The music on the radio lacked passion for them.

Now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard,
Modern music doesn't sound like Merle Haggard's music.

They've got money but they don't have Cash.
Modern musicians have money but they lack Johnny Cash's authenticity.

They got Junior but they don't have Hank.
Modern musicians have Junior, but they lack the influence of Hank Williams.

I think, I think, I think, the rest is,
The artist ponders before continuing.

No, I ain't hit the roof since I don't know when.
The singer hasn't been really happy in a long time.

I said a long time gone,
The singer has been gone from his loved ones and comfort zone for a long time.

No, I ain't honked the horn since I don't know when.
The singer hasn't expressed much excitement in a long time.

Long time gone, and it ain't coming back again.
The past is gone and can't be brought back.

I said a long time, long time, long time gone.
The artist reinforces how long he has been gone.

Well, it's been a long time.
The singer has been gone for a long time.

Long time, long time, long time gone,
The singer repeats the phrase to emphasize his point.

Oh, it's been a long time gone.
The artist has been gone for a significant amount of time.

Long time, long time, long time gone.
The artist repeats his main point a final time before the song ends.

Yeah, yeah.
The artist adds a small vocal flourish at the end of the song.